How to destroy an engine with an air filter

Richard1

Torque Junkie
Points
272
Location
Tarija, Bolivia
Car
Renault Dauphine
People tell me not to worry about it, since it is "only a customer's truck", but it frustrates me to see a perfectly good Ford Raptor destroyed by a K&N filter.

Last week the customer came in for an oil change on the Raptor he had bought. It had water in the oil. No loss of coolant. After flushing and cleaning it up, he went away happy with good oil.

Today, after a a few inches of rain this morning, he came back with water in the oil again. No loss of coolant. My people called me downstairs to investigate. I found this K&N filter adapted to the truck, wet with the water that splashes all over the engine compartment when you go through water. I pulled it off to see all this dirt inside the air intake and the brown, water filled oil.

It bothers me that people get taken in by advertising of filters like this and destroy engines. A filter without a housing is asking for trouble.


raptor_KN.jpg

raptor_intake.jpg

raptor_oil.jpg
 
Actually I can. I believe it should have had a housing to keep out water. It has the shield that K&N sells with it and was installed as the complete kit.

Unless it came with instructions that said: "not for off-road use", but you buy raptors for off-road.
 
This highlights the problem of people playing with things they know SFA about, which is most of the modding community unfortunately.
 
This highlights the problem of people playing with things they know SFA about, which is most of the modding community unfortunately.

I count myself as one of the above! New nothing when I joined this forum, only ideas and dreams; thankfully I know a lot more now which has saved me a considerable amount of money through minimal mistakes now being made. We all have a steep learning curve to climb but due to the nature of car modding and new developments constantly on the horizon, no one will ever reach the summit or know it all.

No, because you admit your lack of knowledge and don't just do things wthout a lot of research. Most 'modders' haven't a clue but don't realise it so end up making their cars bloody dangerous. It's idiots like these that could kill the modding movement if the EU have their way as it gives them the excuse.
 
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If you intend to do proper off roading, you would fit a snorkel, it would still take some serious water to draw into the air filter where it is (certainly more than 2"), looks like your customer has been driving through some serious floods or rivers to me, also if it's drawn so much water in it would have hydraulic locked the engine imo.
 
It had an undertray, with water puddled on it, and it had the shield they sell with it.

One of the big problems here with snorkels is people put 2" diameter snorkels on everything. That would be fine for a non-turbo 2.0 liter engine, but on engines of this size you need around 4" diameter.
 
well i have a k&n on all my cars becuse if placed properl it wont suck water in and give better power i put my cinqecents bonet under water when whe hada a flood and the gear box has given in the engine is minted
 
well i have a k&n on all my cars becuse if placed properl it wont suck water in and give better power i put my cinqecents bonet under water when whe hada a flood and the gear box has given in the engine is minted


OK, I give up, I have no idea what you are talking about after 'better power" :)
 
well i have a k&n on all my cars becuse if placed properl it wont suck water in and give better power i put my cinqecents bonet under water when whe hada a flood and the gear box has given in the engine is minted

All filters do is retain the dirt that is in what passes. If water passes, a paper filter will probably collapse and possibly shut down the engine. A Non paper type will pass the water directly to the engine to hydrolock it.

Many tests have been run that prove only a slight hp gain in certain circumstances at high rpm, but all allow more dirt into the engine.

K&N users are an advertisers dream. Usually buy aftermarket additives, and whatever marketing can create the right image for.
 
Filters are actually more efficient if you wait to change them until it is about to cause a restriction. A stock filter will easily hold a lot of dirt and move from about 98.5% efficiency to 99.5% or so before causing enough (25 water column inches) to affect performance.

So waiting to change not only saves money but saves wear in the engine.
 
By the looks of it, that engine bay has been submurged in water. There is dust and rubbish everywhere. I don't think it mattered what filter he had in it, it was bound to get water in it. Had he had an external intake I think he would have been fine.
 
We drive regularly through water. Poor drainage. Few bridges.

And kids go at top speed.

So... Ideally you would need a sealed unit with a intake feed roughly around roof height then. Doesn't matter what panel filter you put in, if your going through water, it will take it in in less you have equiped the car out properly.
 
A proper setup, where the intake is high or through the fender, will suffice in most cases. If you eliminate the air box, or proper intake, you increase your risk seriously. The 2010-2011 Ford Ranger pickups made in Thailand eliminated the fender intake and left the intake tube down low on the filter box. At the Ford dealer I saw at least two dozen engines destroyed by hydro-locking, or at least mayonnaise-like oil in the bearings from water ingress in the first year (400 sold). I don't know if they fixed the problem since the dealer started importing from a different country.

The problem with most snorkel type installations is the low diameter of the intake. Put a 2" diameter tube on an engine of this size, especially with all the elbows required, adds a lot of restriction. Others are not sealed properly.
 
A proper setup, where the intake is high or through the fender, will suffice in most cases. If you eliminate the air box, or proper intake, you increase your risk seriously. The 2010-2011 Ford Ranger pickups made in Thailand eliminated the fender intake and left the intake tube down low on the filter box. At the Ford dealer I saw at least two dozen engines destroyed by hydro-locking, or at least mayonnaise-like oil in the bearings from water ingress in the first year (400 sold). I don't know if they fixed the problem since the dealer started importing from a different country.

The problem with most snorkel type installations is the low diameter of the intake. Put a 2" diameter tube on an engine of this size, especially with all the elbows required, adds a lot of restriction. Others are not sealed properly.

Congratulations - good post !!
 

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